COVID-19 insights archive

Although RT-PCR tests are the gold standard for the diagnosis of the COVID-19 coronavirus, rapid antigenic tests may represent a valid alternative, in specific circumstances.

Variants can affect the sensitivity of tests for SARS-CoV2. However, most diagnostic kits still work and there are ways to validate systems against new, emerging variants

RNA-based vaccines contain a piece of genetic information to build the so-called spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The information is coded into a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA), which is then encapsulated into lipid nanoparticles (liposomes) that protect it against the environment and facilitate delivery to the patient’s cell.

The word "rapid" defines any method which is significantly faster than the ones we use today to detect SARS-Cov2. Rapid tests take less than an hour or even a few minutes. They are often performed at Point of Care (POC), meaning that the samples are not taken to a laboratory but instead are processed on-site. This is faster and cheaper.